A waterspout forms over Lake St. Clair on Thursday, July 3, at 8:15am / Photo courtesy of Derrick Kozicki

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Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

A “tornado over water” attracted onlookers Thursday morning on Lake St. Clair, when a waterspout appeared near Grosse Pointe.

Many people stopped and took photos of the funnel from the shore as it appeared at roughly 8:15 a.m., remaining intact for about 5 minutes among cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service and the City of Grosse Pointe Farms.

As cool air with light rain showers passed over the warmer water in the lake, the resulting convection caused the waterspout, said Weather Service meteorologist Sara Schultz.

She said such features can be dangerous for people on the water.

“They’re a lower-end tornado — a tornado over water,” Schultz said.

She said it’s not out of the ordinary to get them this time of year, now that the lake water is warmer.

But there aren’t more in the near forecast: The 4th of July weather looks to be in the mid-70s with sunshine, and warm weather is to continue through the weekend, she said.